t. Louis, Missouri
January 8, 2008
Substantial progress and momentum
behind its research-and-development (R&D) pipeline has
Monsanto
(NYSE: MON) poised to deliver several new blockbuster products
to farmers by 2012, company leaders will tell investors today.
The remarks will come as part of a series of presentations on
the company's R&D pipeline in New York and Boston.
"It's rewarding to see such innovation in the pipeline right
now," said Steve Padgette, vice president of biotechnology for
Monsanto. "This is the most progress I've seen in my 23 years at
the company. Our data demonstrates these cutting-edge
innovations can deliver new value to farmers well into the next
decade."
As part of the presentations, scheduled over the next two days,
Padgette will discuss the progress and momentum behind a number
of key projects in the R&D pipeline. Key highlights include:
- YieldGard VT PRO,
one of the primary components of SmartStax technology, is
primed to offer farmers a broader spectrum of insect control
and improved durability when compared with the company's
first-generation corn borer offering. The second-generation
corn borer technology is in Phase IV of the company's R&D
pipeline and currently awaiting regulatory approvals.
- YieldGard Rootworm III
is designed to provide two modes of action for improved
spectrum control and enhanced durability against the corn
rootworm pest. The technology incorporates cutting-edge RNA
interference (RNAi) technology and novel protein
identification. RNAi is a mechanism used naturally by cells
to regulate gene expression. By harnessing this natural
machinery, RNAi technology can help plants
protect themselves from insects.
- Omega-3 enriched
soybeans, which are expected to offer a land-based
source of essential Omega-3 fatty acids, continues to
demonstrate comparable consumer acceptability in recent
results between SDA soy oil
and conventional soy oil in food uses. The product also
continues to demonstrate solid yield performance when
compared to controls.
- Drought-tolerant cotton,
which is designed to minimize risk in cotton farming by
providing yield stability in water stressed environments,
demonstrated strong performance across multiple gene leads.
With these results in hand, Monsanto now believes there are
a number of product leads to create a family of drought
traits in cotton.
A live webcast of Monsanto's R&D
presentations will be available through Monsanto's web site at:
http://www.monsanto.com/investors. Following the live
broadcast, a replay of the webcast will be available on the
Monsanto web site for two weeks. To access presentation slides
and the simultaneous audio webcast of the presentation, visitors
may need to download Windows Media Player™ prior to listening to
the webcast.
To listen to comments from Padgette and Robb Fraley, Monsanto's
chief technology officer and executive vice president, on the
progress in the pipeline, please visit:
http://www.monsanto.com/investors/pipeline/.
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of
technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality. |
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